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Shopping online has never been easier—and it’s having a huge impact on retail. Consumers around the country have embraced the convenience of being able to avoid visiting stores in person. Some publications have called these trends a “death spiral” for brick-and-mortar retailers. Meanwhile, shops across the U.S. are closing their doors.

But brick-and-mortar stores don’t need to die out; they just need to change.

In fact, a recent study shows that most consumers still prefer to shop in person—but only when they can expect a positive customer experience. Retailers who want to boost sales will need to discover new and creative ways to entice consumers to visit their brick-and-mortar stores—and keep them there long enough to make a purchase.

Driving Consumers in Store

Retailers can no longer sit around and wait for visitors if they want to keep their stores alive. Fortunately, sophisticated location data has made it possible for brands to analyze—and even predict—consumer behavior in order to drive footfall. With Blis Futures, retailers can identify ideal audiences and reach out to them at the most opportune moment in order to increase in-person visits and purchases.

But when it comes to getting customers to do more than click on an ad or make a purchase from the comfort of their living room sofas, not just any ad will do; advertisers will need to get more creative with their creatives: They’ll need to craft personalized ads that will incentivize consumers to get out of their sweats and make the journey to the mall.

A brand can attract new consumers by offering a first-time free-bees or welcome seasoned customers by sending them a loyalty discount. By giving customers a good reason to visit, they’ll breathe new life back into brick-and-mortar shopping.

Enhancing In-store Experiences

But once consumers pay the retailer a visit, how can advertisers make sure they won’t regret it?

High-quality, in-store experiences are not simply desirable, they’re essential for retailers hoping to keep in-store purchase sales up. Some forward-thinking brands are already experimenting with creative new ways to engage consumers in-store. Urban Outfitters, for example, has started using beacon technology to enhance their customers’ experiences. Using beacon-triggered content, the brand ran a campaign encouraging tech-savvy shoppers to take and post selfies while trying on merchandise.

Beacon technology holds many promises for innovative brands looking to revive the in-store shopping experience. That’s why Blis is also getting on board. In fact, earlier this year, we partnered with the world’s largest beacon network, combining our advanced location data with beacon technology. The partnership is already improving targeting and attribution across the U.S., and holds new promises for beacon-inspired in-store experiences.

Brands who want keep their stores buzzing with satisfied consumers will need to think outside-the-box when it comes to advertising. By harnessing the power of location-based insights and technology, they’ll be able to both bring consumers in for a visit and convince them to stick around a bit longer.

You won’t want to miss next week’s top tips; we’ll be guiding you through the key steps to turning a consumer into a shopper.

Christina Rasmussen Stella

Senior Sales Director | Blis
Christina is currently responsible for overseeing agency holding company, Publicis and OMG, and growing large brand accounts from the client-direct side. She manages a team of 2 senior sales managers who are focused on driving revenue from various agency and direct accounts like P&G, AT&T, Pepsi, Verizon, Chase and more.